Thousands will descend on Canberra, Australia, on Monday to protest against Attorney General Christian Porter, a member of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government, on charges of raping a girl as a teenager in 1988, Reuters reports.
Why does it matter: 43 planned protests across the country are likely to put more pressure on Morrison, who refused to consider an investigation into Porter after police shut him down on the grounds of lack of information. Porter denied the accusation and said he would not resign.
- A rally in front of the parliament building is expected to have about 85,000 participants, according to Reuters.
Morrison will now be missing two cabinet members when parliament resumes on Monday. Her defense minister, Linda Reynolds, is facing resignation because she did not report that a member of the government came to her with another rape charge against an unnamed colleague. Reynolds and Porter are both on sick leave, according to Reuters.
- The two developments have stimulated a national and accounting conversation about the sexual misconduct of Australia’s most powerful politicians.